Abdellatif Ouahbi’s statements are nothing new, but this time they have crossed a red line. His assertion that Morocco remains open to negotiations with Spain over Ceuta and Melilla—territories he insists belong to Morocco—and his reminder that the July migrant crisis highlighted Europe’s failure to address repatriation of unaccompanied Moroccan minors have injected fresh urgency into a dormant diplomatic dispute.

In a bold move, Spain’s opposition People’s Party (PP) has seized on Ouahbi’s words to demand that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government immediately summon Morocco’s ambassador for urgent consultations. Speaking during a visit to Barcelona, PP lawmaker Jaime de los Santos drew a direct comparison with Madrid’s swift response to Italy’s suspension of the Schengen Agreement, questioning why a similar firm stance had not been taken toward Morocco despite the massive migrant influx at Ceuta and the Moroccan minister’s comments on Spain’s sovereignty over the two enclaves.

The PP has escalated its pressure by filing written questions in Spain’s Congress of Deputies, demanding immediate clarification from Félix Bolaños, Minister of the Presidency and Justice, regarding all communications with his Moroccan counterpart since the migrant surge and the government’s response to Ouahbi’s remarks on the enclaves’ status.

The conservative party also raised concerns over what it describes as a potential Moroccan threat to suspend the bilateral extradition treaty—a critical tool, according to the PP, for managing the return of individuals who crossed the border fence. With the opposition turning this diplomatic episode into a political weapon and the Sánchez government resisting calls for a tougher line, the dispute shows no signs of resolution in the near future.